Your Impact

Thank you! Your gifts make an impact on Fordham and our students.

Students conversing outside of McShane Center on Rose Hill campus

For generations, students have come to Fordham with a desire to make a difference—to serve others and become leaders in addressing the defining issues of our age.

The 2022–2023 academic year proved no different, thanks in part to your generosity.

Your gifts help Fordham offer students rigorous academics, world-class internship and research opportunities, and countless campus and cultural experiences in the heart of New York City. Your gifts also help us ensure that every student feels an empowering sense of belonging and purpose on campus.

Your Impact in Their Own Words

  • Messay Nolawit profile picture

    Nolawit, FCLC ’25

    “My strong spiritual foundation has guided me throughout my journey, providing the strength to overcome obstacles and pursue my dreams. That’s one of the reasons I chose Fordham—a place that resonates with these values and allows me to integrate my faith into my academic pursuits. The support I have received through these funds will enable me to concentrate wholeheartedly on my education, nurturing my passion and dreams. Thank you for believing in me and for being an important part of my journey. Your impact will resonate with me far beyond my time at Fordham.”

  • Jenny Kim profile picture

    Jenny, GSE ’26

    I chose to pursue my graduate education at Fordham because it has one of the few school psychology graduate programs with a bilingual track. As a Korean American who speaks fluent English and Korean, I always wanted to use my language skills in my career to help culturally and linguistically diverse students. Also, the program has a great reputation for comprehensive assessments, which excited me because, as a big part of a school psychologist’s responsibilities, I can extensively learn in-depth about psychoeducational assessments. Thank you again for helping me pursue and continue my education, so that I can become a well-rounded bilingual school psychologist. Attending Fordham is an important step in achieving my passion and professional goals.

  • Luis Pinto profile picture

    Luís Otávio, GABELLI ’27

    “Your generous support has provided me with a significant opportunity to further advance my academic goals and achieve my dreams. With your support, the financial burden of my education will certainly be eased, which will allow me to save resources to allocate to my personal living costs. I want to thank you for investing in my future and believing in my potential. Your support will not only assist me in achieving my academic aspirations but also empower me to give back to my community and contribute positively to society and the environment. I am committed to using this opportunity to the best of my abilities and achieving academic excellence. Your belief in me has inspired me to work harder and strive for greatness. I am honored to be a part of your scholarship program, and I promise to make the most of this privilege.”

  • Daniela Akoh profile picture

    Daniela, FCRH ’24

    Fordham advocates for cura personalis, that is, 'care of the whole person.' With every day that passes, not only do I understand that expression more, I feel it. My knowledge, emotional maturity, and worldviews have been enriched tenfold, and I doubt any other university would have inspired these changes in me quite like Fordham has. Thank you endlessly for allowing me the opportunity to learn as I have, to grow as I have. For as long as Fordham stays with me, your kindness will stay with me too. I’m looking forward to my final years here, but more than that, I’m looking forward to entering the world with the values that Fordham, and therefore, you, have instilled in me.

  • Cindy Wu profile picture

    Cindy, FCLC ’25

    “Since Fordham University specializes in small, intimate classes, I found that it allowed me to connect with my professors one-on-one for additional support and advice, which I had never been able to get at my last school. In addition, Fordham has given me such great career resources that help me to prepare for the near future. Since last semester, I have gained an internship with Glitter Magazine as an entertainment/affiliate writer, and have worked as an event staff member for the New York Giants through Fordham’s Career Center. Without the help of Fordham, I would not have been able to gain these great opportunities in the heart of Manhattan. Thanks to you, I am closer to reaching my goals. I hope shortly I will be able to help students achieve their dreams just like how you have helped me.

  • Babalwa Nogwanya profile picture

    Babalwa, GSAS ’27

    “Your investment in my future has not gone unnoticed. I am committed to working hard and making the most of this opportunity. I promise to use the knowledge and skills I gain to make a positive impact in my community and to pay it forward by helping others in need. Once again, thank you from the bottom of my heart for your generosity and support. You have allowed me to change my life and create a better future for myself and those around me. I will always be grateful for your kindness.”

  • Pires Rodrigues-Hold profile picture

    Juliana, GSS ’26

    “My experience at Fordham University Graduate School of Education has been enlightening. I have learned with and from professors and peers who inspire me to become the best version of myself, and I cannot wait to make this impact in my future students’ lives. Thank you for supporting me towards reaching my fullest personal and professional goals.”

Here are some of the amazing things we are accomplishing thanks to your generous support.

The new campus center addition at night

Creating a Space for Students to Thrive

Your gifts helped complete the second phase of the McShane Campus Center expansion: an airy, sun-filled arcade. The new campus center exemplifies cura personalis, or “care of the whole person”—mind, body, and soul.

In this expansive, revitalized space, students socialize and study with friends, receive guidance at the Career Center, engage with their spirituality at Campus Ministry, and stay active at the new Ram Fit Center. 

Student taking a picture on camera

Fueling Students' Dreams

Your support helps fuel Fordham students’ dreams through various programs and initiatives, including the Fordham Foundry, the University’s hub for innovation and entrepreneurship. Open to alumni and all students, no matter their school or major, the Foundry helps aspiring entrepreneurs start viable, sustainable companies that often meet social needs as well.

Your gifts also support the Serving the City program, which provides paid internships—exclusively for Fordham College at Rose Hill and Fordham College at Lincoln Center students—to help undergraduates gain meaningful professional experience at nonprofits throughout the city.

Beatriz Goncalves, FCRH ’23, conducts research over the summer in Professor Ipsita Banerjee’s lab.

Connecting STEM with the Humanities

With expanded resources in STEM, including the recent addition of a biochemistry major, our students are exploring the fascinating intersections of STEM and Fordham’s strengths in the humanities. Thanks to the creation of funds like the Elizabeth A. Johnson, C.S.J., Endowed Fund for Theology & the Earth, for example, students are conducting interdisciplinary research to help advance environmental protection.

Fordham gymnasium, stands filled with fans cheering. In forefront are shirtless men, with letters written on their stomachs.

Inspiring 'Rose Thrill'

With increased donor and fan support, the men’s basketball Rams, led by first-year head coach Keith Urgo, reached heights not seen for 30 years. Students packed the gym, creating a standing-room-only, loud, competitive atmosphere that caught the attention not only of Urgo but also of visiting teams and the media, culminating in an exciting appearance in the Atlantic 10 semifinals.

Students attending the Ignatian Q Conference which advances LGBTQ Inclusion and Equality

Supporting Our LGBTQ+ Students

Your gifts have created new momentum throughout the University to further initiatives that support LGBTQ+ students’ personal, academic, and spiritual experiences at Fordham and beyond, through programming like the Prism Retreat and Ignatian Q Conference.